


Shelter

by StarHelio



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Comfort, Gen, Nightmares, let friends hug tbh, no ship implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 18:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16372595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarHelio/pseuds/StarHelio
Summary: For my amazing friend, Beenor!Song based off the YouTube video of Steven Yeun singing Ray Lamontagne's Shelter.





	Shelter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> For my amazing friend, Beenor!   
> Song based off the YouTube video of Steven Yeun singing Ray Lamontagne's Shelter.

The prince shot up in a cold sweat, his chest heaving as he wiped a shaky hand across his forehead. For a moment he became even more dizzied with panic as his crown, a usual comfort, was not there. As his eyes raked around the room frantically through the dark, it came to him in a haze that the tiara remained on his nightstand where it had carefully been placed. His breathing was ragged as he tried his best to compose himself and to still his racing thoughts. His skin was clammy in the cold of the night, his blue marks glowing dimly with his distressed emotions and his anxiety-riddled thoughts swirling through his troubled, and still groggy mind. He panted, hot and cold simultaneously, his covers stuck to him in a way that sharply contrasted their usual luxurious comfort, his night shirt clung to his back. “Is everything alright, my prince?” his bodyguard questioned softly from close by, already rushing over to the prince’s side. The tall, lilac frame of his personal guard suddenly comforted him in a way that felt something like finally seeing a lighthouse on a stormy sea, he knew his guard would lead him back safe and sound, bring him back to solid land. In all honesty, that’s really what Keith was for him. More than a guard, he’d proven himself to be an absolutely priceless friend. His solid ground in the ever-stormy sea of problems, political issues, and duties that his position demanded of him, the only thing that remained constant, comforting, and caring was Keith. Not that he would ever admit to it.

“I’m fine, Keith.” The prince interjected with a hardened tone, and although his voice trembled slightly, his facial expression was hardened to accompany his tone. “Are you sure, my prince? You were talking in your sleep but I wasn’t sure it was worth waking you. I’m sorry for not realizing, I failed to-“ the prince suddenly let out a frustrated growl, effectively cutting the galran off mid-sentence. “I said I’m fine, Keith!” The galran form towering over the prince lowered his ears to his head slightly, his panicked demeanor seeming to subside. The prince breathed out a ragged sigh as he looked to the side, resting his head on top of his knees as he drew them to his chest. Keith softly sighed, though it was barely audible as he climbed onto the prince’s bed. This caught the prince’s attention and he tried to keep it subtle as he turned his head to glimpse at the lilac form wordlessly making his way across the sheets from the corner of his eye. “What are you doing?” Lance grumbled, his words muffled through his crossed arms as he asked a question he already knew the answer to. Without uttering a word, two strong, lavender tinted arms curled around the prince’s form in a careful, yet firm embrace. He lifted the prince towards his chest and into his lap as he held Lance’s still shivering form tightly. Slowly, the guard began to softly rock from side to side, Lance’s head cradled to his chest as the prince let out another shuddering sigh, the terrors from his sleep still clinging to him through the adrenaline rushing through his system. Lance sniffled and felt Keith softly rest his chin on the top of his head. The prince balled his fists in Keith’s shirt as he shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut, though not quick enough to stop silent tears from falling from his lashes down his cheeks. He felt it in Keith’s chest, and in his throat resting just above his head before he even heard it as his guard began to softly hum.

Lance unknowingly buried his face further into Keith’s chest out of habit as the familiar tune began to envelop him, surrounding him like a warm blanket and slowing his swirling thoughts. He sniffed again and began to attempt humming along, though his voice was still too broken in that moment so he shuddered again, clinging tightly to his warm, swaying comfort as his song engulfed his mind again. Lance felt as if he drifted weightless for a while, just being wrapped in the warmness and the calm of his secret comfort that only his guard knew, and only his friend could do. Lance had his family, but this was different. Lance had never had someone so close, someone who would hold him and comfort him and wouldn’t tell him he needed to grow out of his need for affection, his need to be held when nothing was okay. Keith never pressured him with things he knew affected Lance so deeply, he never judged his need for hugs, his need to be held, or his clingy nature in general, and he surely would never tell a soul about it either. Lance couldn’t describe how much that meant to him, couldn’t vocalize what a relief it was, so instead he just relished it. As Lance’s focus began to fade back into reality and out of his thoughts, he was warmed yet again by the comforting words Keith had apparently begun singing at some point while he was lost in his thoughts.

_“Its hard to believe it, even as my eyes do see it_

_The very things that make you live are killing you”_

Keith’s voice softly filled the room, smooth yet slightly husky as he gently sang what they had found to be Lance’s comfort song somewhere along the way. Lance’s grip on Keith’s shirt tightened as the words sunk in and he shivered again, trying to suppress more tears welling up in his eyes.

_“Listen when all of this around us will fall over_

_I tell you what we’re gonna do”_

As Keith’s voice unraveled beautifully to show just what it was capable of, Lance found the melodic sound of Keith’s lullaby combined with his warm, gentle swaying making it hard to focus and even harder to recall the dreams that upset him in the first place. He felt a few more tears silently hit his cheeks and roll down though now they weren’t as painful, it was more like they were washing away the things that had made him hurt. He felt his shoulders relax from their tensed state, his muscles almost feeling as if they melted away entirely. He felt weightless, separated entirely from the rest of the world, from all his problems, from anything that had ever hurt him. It was almost as if Keith himself was the wall separating all these things from getting to Lance, hiding him away from his troubles and princely duties to sing him away to his safe place.

_“And I, I will shelter you”_

_“I will shelter you”_

As Lance drifted back to Keith’s voice above him, he realized he’d tuned out. Not that he really cared that much. He was so worn out, he couldn’t find it in himself to care about anything but this. Being here, with the only one who could comfort him like this meant more than he could describe, and he was so unthinkably thankful for it, for Keith.

_“I will shelter you”_

_A shelter_ , Lance thought, that’s what Keith was. The walls keeping the world from getting to him, his shelter. _That’s kinda funny_ , Lance began thinking as he let out a steadier breath, _I never really thought of a shelter as being someone. Especially not someone with such a bad haircut._ He mused, though there was no malice in it, instead he huffed out a slight, breathy laugh. Had he voiced his thoughts, Keith would have surely poked back at Lance verbally, all in good fun of course. Although they bickered, teased, and joked constantly, Keith could be incredibly heartfelt and a huge encouragement for Lance. Lance was more verbal with compliments on every little thing, and he was easily excitable as well as clingy. He wasn’t usually clingy although Keith was that exception, but Keith never told and Lance held him as one of his dearest friends in his eyes, one of the people he was closest to.

_“All of this around us will fall over_

_I tell you what we’re gonna do”_

Keith continued above him, as melodious as ever, washing all of Lance’s troubles away with just his voice and his words. Keith was so big and obviously strong that it struck Lance as kind of funny how gentle Keith could be, rocking him and singing to him. _Like I’m a baby_ , Lance thought almost bitterly though he had to admit it always worked on him, and he loved it. _Maybe I am a baby_. Keith was no baby though, with how strong he was in every way. Lance admired it really, Keith was silly, goofy, and didn’t get simple phrases or references sometimes, but he was clearly very gifted. Highest in all classes, strongest in all strength and endurance tests and trials, impressive combat skills. Keith exceeded all expectations ever placed on him, unlike Lance. Though Keith encouraged Lance as well, even convincing him to love some things about his personality he hadn’t really considered good, much less great or likeable. They sort of kept each other going, constantly goading each other on in some way, whether they were accomplishing great things for the kingdom, or getting into mischief. Lance giggled absentmindedly, _But where’s the fun without that?_ He thought.

_“I, I will shelter you_

_If you shelter me too,_

_I will shelter you”_

Keith ended beautifully with a gentle flourish, his voice hushed, though he kept the same tempo with his slow swaying. Lance let out a soft, contented sigh, unmoving. Keith giggled, his chest reverberating gently with the sound. “Feel better now?” Keith questioned with a grin, his head still resting atop the prince’s. “Sorry I snapped at you” the prince began, but was stopped by his large, galran friend. “Don’t apologize, you were stressed and scared. Don’t say sorry for how you feel.” The guard said simply. “I still shouldn’t have been so snappy” the prince commented. Keith pondered a moment, “Maybe not” he started “but I knew you were only reacting out of stress, so don’t say sorry.” Lance rolled his eyes “Well then, my bad” His friend stopped rocking “Lance! That’s still an apology” he argued. “Not technically” Lance retorted, trying not to laugh when he felt the galran stiffen. Keith pulled his head back to stare the prince in the eyes. “Yes it does, you’re still apologizing!” Lance laughed at the way Keith had already begun to bristle up slightly, despite his huge grin he wore so well. “Okay, sorry for apologizing” Lance quipped, earning an eye roll from Keith which only caused Lance to giggle harder. “But yeah, it did help a lot actually” Lance smiled, “so thanks.” Keith laughed this time, “you say ‘actually’ like I haven’t done this before.” He said with a raised brow, earning a smack with a pillow from Lance. “Pfft, shut up” Lance giggled, “we should sleep, important, boring meetings and whatnot tomorrow and all…you know.” Keith smiled, “Yeah, I know. I guess I’ll just have to keep you awake then since you keep waking up in the middle of the night.” He joked. “Hey!” Lance pouted indignantly “its not like I can help it much!” Keith smirked “I know, I know” he laughed “but you’re right, a prince needs his beauty sleep, right?” Lance scoffed, “Hey, I work hard to look the way I do!” Keith snorted “Okay, sure” he turned off Lance’s light as Lance crawled back under his own sheets. “Goodnight, Prince Charming.” Keith teased. “Sweet dreams, General FuzzFace!” Lance called back as Keith closed the door with a faint chuckle. It didn’t take Lance long to fall asleep afterwards, and he slept peacefully without any night terrors. With someone like Keith, he had the best shelter there was.


End file.
